Does Eating Cheerios Help You Lose Weight?

Kylene Arnold

Cheerios have been a healthy breakfast choice since 1941.
(Image: Rena-Marie/iStock/Getty Images)

Don't rely on advertising campaigns for guidance in your health. Many marketing slogans promise more than they can deliver, including those that claim a cereal is "part of a balanced breakfast." When it comes to Cheerios, however, medical science supports many of General Mills' claims about the weight loss benefits of their toasted Os. Cheerios are low in fat and high in fiber, which may help help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Breakfast and Weight Loss

Some dieters think by skipping breakfast they will lower their calorie intake and lose weight faster. According to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," however, members of the National Weight Loss Registry, who had lost more than 70 pounds and kept it off for at least five years, reported eating breakfast as a regular part of their lifestyle. Likewise, a study published in the "International Journal of Obesity" reported that, while clinically overweight children lost some fat by skipping meals, children within a normal weight range who regularly skipped breakfast gained weight. MayoClinic.com suggests that this is because people who skip breakfast are often hungrier and eat more throughout the day. They may also lack the energy they need to be physically active.

Energy Density

One way to lose weight, according to MayoClinic.com, is to eat foods that have a low energy density. These foods take up a lot of space compared to the number of calories they contain, which allows a dieter to eat a greater quantity without eating more calories. Foods that are high in fiber, such as Cheerios, which provides 11 percent of your daily value, may help you avoid snacking by keeping you full longer than a low-fiber cereal.

Calories in Cheerios

To lose weight, you must have a calorie deficit that prompts your body to convert stored fat to glucose. One way to do this is to eat fewer calories. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, you must have a 500 calorie deficit each day to lose one pound a week. One cup of Cheerios contains only 100 calories, which may help contribute to weight loss when paired with other low calorie food choices.

Cheerios as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

Cheerios alone will not cause you to lose weight. You must make other healthy lifestyle choices, such as cutting the number of calories you eat throughout the day, exercising and drinking plenty of water. No single food can give you a quick fix. However, Cheerios can be one of many healthy choices you make throughout your day that will not only help you to lose weight, but also to keep it off.